


We Can Be Free, Again

by RosesRisen2



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Humor, LeviIsBadass, M/M, Obsession, OutsideTheWalls, Titans, WiseEren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:20:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27631295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosesRisen2/pseuds/RosesRisen2
Summary: Plot change: Ymir, the first titan shifter, was referred to as a Goddess in her life. But as time went on and the stories of her feats became twisted and far fetched, she was eventually worshipped as the Titan Goddess Ymir, dominant to all who walked the Earth. Her nine successors, known as her ennead children, carry on her legacy. And after meeting Eren for the first time, Levi is convinced Eren is one of her descendants because of his Godlike appearance and benevolent actions.Eren has the ability to see into a person’s past and future by looking them in the eye. Christa is a normal girl and there is no plot against humanity/the King isn't a fraud. The titans were once humanity’s guardians, but have lost control and need to be stopped.Side Note: Eren Jaeger roughly translates to Honored Hunter, but I changed it to Honored Protector to suit the plot better.Inspired by, not based on, Adishailan’s The Hunter. The plot is different entirely, two scenarios are similar. Eren lives outside the walls and his death is misunderstood.
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 20
Kudos: 68





	1. Humanity

Sleepless nights were all that awaited Levi Ackerman, Humanity’s Strongest, as their last expedition haunted the backs of his eyelids. Their screams echoed in his ears and have yet to fade. The sounds of torn flesh as their bones snapped and crimson stained the trees rung in his ears. The sight of his team, out of the corner of his eye, dying abrupt deaths at the hands of those beasts.

The image taunted him every time he closed his eyes as past images always have. It wasn’t anything new, but it never got any easier. If only he’d seen it coming. If only that thing showed up sooner, whatever it was. All Levi could do to ease the torment was to occupy his mind with something else; the thought of running his blade through the nape of that titan sufficed.

He pictured it so many times it began to feel real. Soon, all he could think of was killing the titan that aided him. He’d bring an end to the titan that let him live, at least in his dreams. It was all he could do to get a decent sleep. Even if it was already dead.

He killed it countless times, night after night, but the same damned look in its eye remained and Levi’s thirst went unquenched. He began to itch with the urge to kill; to hunt it down in the pits of tartarus if he had to. Only then would it no longer stare at him with such pity. Such humanity.

“Levi,” a voice thundered down the hall as it approached the door of his office. “Levi!” The voice grew louder before the door swung open to reveal a tall, rather eccentric woman. “Get off yer ass, grab a plate, and let’s get goin’!”

Levi glared from his desk and said nothing. He hadn’t eaten in a week; he felt no need to. He lacked the appetite.

When he made no effort to move from his chair, the woman marched across the room and around his desk, but she didn’t stop there. With an exaggerated grin, she grabbed the arm of the chair and tipped him out of it.

“Oi, four-eyes!” He growled from the floor. “The hell do you think you’re doing?” 

To avoid his wrath, she raced back to the door, “Quit yer mopin’!” She nagged. “There’s a situation at wall Maria!”

Levi watched the doorway as she disappeared from it and her rhythmic stomping faded down the hallway. He gazed out into the hall for a long period of time, her last words ringing in his head alongside the blood-curdling screams of his former subordinates. “There’s a situation at wall Maria!” It rang.

And not a moment after coming to his senses, he jumped over his desk and bolted after her. Finally, he thought. A decent distraction.

I know it’s short, but this is just a little intro piece, like a prologue. Future updates may be slow, so please bear with me! I also can't figure out italicizing on this site.


	2. Chance Encounter

\- In the woods, the expedition -

It had been a month, he guessed, since the day he met the small man in the woods. That day had gone differently than when the humans visited before. There were less than usual and they struggled harder despite an obvious desire to survive. Their target was a female titan he’d never seen before. She had unforgettable blonde hair, he’d have recognized her if she frequented the woods before.

She didn't pay the humans much mind, though, and instead glanced around the forest. It intrigued him. She was odd compared to the average titan, but she was merciless just the same, swatting at the humans as if they were flies.

He watched from a branch above, bored, until a sudden change in the wind caught his attention and he turned to inspect it. And just as he did, the source of the bitter breeze nearly knocked him off his perch. It flew so fast - like a bee to its hive - and yet, time stood still. 'An angel', he thought. 'An angel without wings.'

Levi had flown past him in pursuit of the blonde titan, enveloped in a menacing aura as he glared ahead. His formidable speeds and impressive maneuvering techniques were terrifying, but the boy couldn't tear his eyes away as he intervened to save his kind. Not only that, his skill with a blade was mesmerizing.

Then he heard it, “Levi! Captain Levi!”

The boy reached to clutch his chest, his heartbeat pulsing steadily. 'Levi. . . .'

Slowly, gradually, he lifted his hand to his jaw and chomped down on his palm. 'Levi . . . .'

And as thunder shook the sky, he burst from the shroud of smoke at 9 meters, sprinting into action. 'Levi!'

His presence earned the attention of those around him, but his eyes found the mangled bodies of their comrades much more interesting.

“Captain Levi!” An ear-splitting shriek, accompanied by others, has him glaring at the blonde titan and the small human she was currently squeezing the life out of. 

Once known across the land as the ‘Honored Protector’ and having forsaken the name for millennia, he felt the weight of his responsibilities and the result of his neglect. Now, after all that time, his blood boiled anew and struck the female titan in the abdomen, sending her flying.

He then dove into the Earth to catch Levi before he hit the ground, the boxes of flight at his waist having been damaged by the female titan.

And again, time stopped for the two as they locked eyes at last. The titan-boy waited for Levi to move; to say he was uninjured and grateful. Levi waited to be gnawed down to his ankles. Neither of which would occur.

They’re snapped out of their dazes when the rustling, tussling, and rumbling of the female titan suggests she’s returned to her senses, though her torso appeared concave compared to the rest of her.

The titan-boy noticeably frowned and stood, Levi still in hand, and looked to him. “You . . . safe . . .?” It spoke in a voice so incredibly deep in a growl so inaudible, Levi could only stare.

Utter silence plagued the forest, the echo of the titan’s words ringing clear as day in their minds. This titan was concerned for their captain. 

But Levi wouldn't get a chance to respond as the female titan’s shrieks shook the land and the titan lifted his hand. The humans all watched in anticipation, the thought the titan might still eat their captain weighing on their hearts, but are awestruck once more as his hand halts at his shoulder rather than his lipless jaws. Had he realized what he’d just done? Their captain’s gear no longer worked, but he still had his blades. Levi could kill the titan at any time from there.

“Climb on. . . . Hold . . . tight. . . .” It spoke again.

Levi watched it for a minute, half expecting it to lash out and bite his legs off if he moved, but something inside him urged him to believe this titan. He didn’t have to trust it, all he had to do was let it handle the situation and kill it afterward. So what if it died fighting? It obviously intended to fight the female titan, and where was the harm in letting it? Even if it didn't die, one of them surely would, leaving the other tuckered out in the end. Too tired to fight any more. An easy target.

Levi stood in the literal palm of its hand and glared into its big green eyes. “Don’t drop me.”

The titan nodded as Levi limped onto his shoulder and dug his blades into its flesh to secure his footing, though the titan didn't seem to care as it set its sights on the female titan. 

From there, the fight continued and it quickly became apparent to the titan how dangerous it was for Levi to remain with him, so he dealt a final blow to buy time and hustled over the other humans who pulled Levi from his shoulder and onto a thick branch where he could watch the rest of the fight play out. Many of his subordinates flocked to his side and blabbered their concern with tears in their eyes. 

"Are you okay!?"

"Were you scared? I'm sure I would've had a heart attack!"

"Captain Levi, are you sure you're not hurt!?"

"Did it do something to you!?"

That is until Levi cut them off. “Shut your asses up,” he said. “I’m watching history.”

He was almost sure he was witnessing something remarkable. Something divine. Be it a revolution of the Gods or humanity, it didn't matter which. 

“Levi!” A shrill voice swung up to him from a neighboring branch. “Sp-speak! It spoke! To you! How!?”

He groaned. “Just watch.”

“But he’s huge!” She squealed. “A-and he spoke to you! I have to study him! We need to bring him back with us, he’s-!”

He reached around her head, grasped her hair, and scowled. “Shut up and watch the damned fight.”

She paused as her sense of reason returned to her and she looked to the two titans. They were wrestling. It wasn’t a blind catfight, they were fixing to devour the other all while dealing coordinated attacks. They bit through flesh, tore muscle, severed nerves, and broke bones. They attacked joints and tore one another limb from limb.

“It’s almost like, . . .” she muttered, her glasses fogging as her breathing slows. “They’re not human at all, but entirely human at the same time.”

Levi nods.

“They’re in complete control, it’s like they have conscious minds - no, I’m sure they do.”

He nods again.

“It’s terrifying,” her grin wavers with nervous exhilaration. 

Levi glances in her direction only to say nothing and turn his attention back to the fight the male titan appeared to be winning.

Time stood still as steam enveloped them, desperately trying to keep up with the repair of the external muscles. The male titan had grappled the female titan to the ground, breathing heavily enough to move smaller branches.

“Die, . . .” the male titan roared quietly and tightened his grip around her neck. He’d managed to get her in a headlock and tangled their legs together, immobilizing her. Her eyes nearly pop out of her skull with the sheer power of his arm around her neck.

Then male titan bit down on the back of her neck and chomped down on the diamond shield. His teeth shattered, but he managed to tear the flash and mineral from the female titan's nape. She hollered and shrieked but fell silent as the nerves severed and the top of her spinal cord revealed itself. 

“Is that . . .?” A voice murmured in horror at the sight. “A person? Did he just . . . pull a person from the titan’s neck?”

Levi, too distracted to pay them any mind, stands and says, “Oi, brat, lend me your gear.”

“Huh?” The one who spoke of the figure in the titan’s nape nearly hiccuped at the look he received from his commanding officer.

“Hange,” Levi turns to the woman beside him. “Look after the kid.”

And without another moment to spare, Levi straps up and dives from the branch nearly 12 meters (40ft) in the air, but doesn't activate the gear. The suspense is enough to drive the others into spiraling doubt.

"Are you sure your gear works!?"

"Why isn't he using it!?"

"He's gonna fall!"

"You're absolutely sure you still had gas, right!?"

They watched as he neared the ground and held their breaths for nothing as he activated the gear that made contact with the male titan's arm and practically ricocheted off the ground, gliding along its surface and racing toward the titans.

Once there, he plants himself on the boy-titan’s shoulder and stumbles forward, having momentarily forgotten about the injuries he’d sustained at the hands of the female titan in his moment of tunnel vision. 

The next moment, he slices through the titan’s cheek and the girl slides out on a blanket of saliva. “Oi,” Levi addresses the male titan. “What is this?” 

The titan glances at Levi and knitts its brows, “Levi . . . hurt. . . .”

“What? It hurt?” He mocks, raising the blade to its eye. 'Fucking titan spewing my name like it knows me'.

But the titan’s focus remains on Levi rather than the blade. “Levi need . . . sit. . . . You . . . hurt. . . .”

Levi cringes at its concern. “Enough, I asked you a question.”

The titan said nothing and Levi couldn’t decide if it was hiding something or merely clueless. All he knew was how much he hated the look in its eye. 

“Do I look like prey to you, you piece or horse shit?”

The titan’s features relaxed and it shook its head. “Levi is . . . survivor,” he breathed in a hoarse growl.

Levi withdrew his blade, though unintentionally, as his arms had grown weak and the imbalance in his legs forced him to take a step back. The shock of what the titan had said sank in and he hated himself for feeling so damn good about it. His chest felt light and for a split second his mind was completely blank. For a split second, he wasn’t thinking about killing titan’s or the future of the human race. He wasn’t concerned about whether he’d die tomorrow. He didn’t care where he was, be it in or outside the walls. For a split second, he felt as if he’d been praised by death itself for outrunning it for as long as he has.

He snaps out of his daze when the titan moves, causing him to lose his footing and fall from the titan’s shoulder. Fortunately, the titan caught him and he was once again in the palm of its hand. But the titan didn’t stop to inspect his injuries or ask anything of him. Instead, it said: “She’s gone.”

I'd already had most of this written up, so it got done quicker. The next chapter might take a few days, so I recommend checking out Adishailan’s 'The Hunter' while you wait!


	3. Cheating Death

One minute, Levi was lost in the false tranquility of the titan’s gaze, stunned to be passed off to a nearby tree branch the next. “Stay here. Safe.”

The titan looked away from Levi and glanced around before confirming its target and sprinting in that direction, disappearing into the forest.

Desperate, Levi becomes frantic. “What are you waiting for!? Go after it! Don’t let it out of your sight!” He barked.

Startled, the survey corps deployed from where they sat perched in the higher branches and chased after the titan.

"There it is! Get it!"

"No!" Hange screamed. "Don't kill him! I'll kill anyone who lays a finger on him!"

"B-but captain Levi said-"

"Not to let it out of your sights," Levi growls, quickly catching up with the squad. 

"You’re here? But the titan said-"

"I'll be damned if I let a titan tell me what to do," he scowls at Hange, who nods in response.

She'd been so focused on the titan's humanity, she forgot about its blatantly obvious inhuman features. Granted, it saved Levi time and time again in the span of fifteen minutes, but that didn't mean they could spare it in turn. If it wasn't before, it was clear to them now more than ever that titan could be the key to understanding what the titans are and why they exist.

"Hurry!" Levi orders. "We can't let it get away. It's chasing the person that came out of the titan and if we don't stop it in time, it may kill them."

"How do you know? It hasn't hurt anyone." Hange queries.

Levi glares ahead, panic written across his face. "A hunch."

The titan had taken a particular interest in Levi and, though it hadn't hurt anyone yet, the female titan had. 

The sky shook once more with crimson-colored lightning and the Earth beneath them vibrated. It occurred to Levi the same thing happened before the male titan showed up and the sudden pit in his gut made him speed up. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

Trees trembled, the ground quaked, and Levi shivered after turning a corner to find the female and male titans engaged in combat once more.

"That's not possible," denial flooded them.

Without realizing, they'd all stopped to watch. No one retreated, nor did they dare approach. Not a single one of them moved. Not that they could, silently still where they sit perched in the treetops.

The female titan seemed refreshed, somehow, like it hadn't been in its right mind before. Now it was focused and ready to cause more casualties, starting with the male titan that stood tall before her.

Hange watched intently. "Which do you think will win?" She asked Levi, not taking her eyes off the two.

He says nothing, scrunching his nose in irritation at the sight. It was beyond irritating, not knowing who would turn out triumphant.

The fight proceeded from there and continued for another ten minutes. It was predictable yet messy. They tackled one another, broke from grapples, and sacrificed their limbs to tear one from the other. 

By the end of it, the male titan had an arm and both legs whereas the female titan lost both arms and a leg, but she was well balanced and ripped through flesh using her jaw when the opportunity arose.

And when the male titan was ready to pull her head from her shoulders, he decided it was enough and stood on his branch.

"Oi!" He called out.

"Le- . . . vi? Why- . . .?" The look on his face was enough to shut Hange up, this time. He wasn't scowling or murderous as he usually was. Instead, he looked cool-headed and certain of himself.

The titan looked over its shoulder at him. "Levi, . . . not safe," it panted, steam escaping its lipless jaws.

". . . Shitty-glasses, be ready to slice into the other one. It's exhausted, its guard is down, now's your chance."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. What're you gonna do?" She asked.

Levi stepped backward, toward the edge of the branch. "Distract it from our prey."

"Wait, Levi, don't be stupid-"

"I'm not," he retorts. "I'm testing a theory."

Hange stares up at him, then glances at the titan and smiles. "When you reach your conclusion, make sure to tell me all about it!" She swooped down and spread word of their plan, leaving Levi unsupervised and reckless. Without a word, he gazed into the eyes of the male titan from across the forest, carelessly conducting a silent conversation with him. Then he closed his eyes, leaned back, and didn't wait for the titan to realize his intentions before plummeting to the Earth’s surface.

An inhuman cry could be heard throughout the forest, the Earth shudders with each step, and when Levi opens his eyes again, he’s met with emerald orbs and scoffs. “Good thing you’re predictable.”

“Got her!” A man confirms from the female titan’s body as they pulled her from the steaming corpse.

The male titan glanced back at them and frowned evidently. "Why?" It growled.

"Survival," Levi answered. "She's valuable as long as she's alive, but she's of no use to us dead."

It stared at Levi - almost apologetically - at the realization of its mistake. “But," it looked her its shoulder at the detestable titan's corpse. "That one . . . hurt Levi. . . .”

“I’ll survive,” Levi snaps, voice as sharp as knives. “You said it yourself, I’m a survivor.”

The titan sat on its knees and raised his cupped hands to eye-level. But Levi’s legs, unable to keep up with the titan’s sudden movement, gave out. He fell on his back, sprawled out in the titan’s palms. 

“Damn it,” he mutters, frustrated with himself. If this were any other titan, he’d have died three times over by now. "Be more careful, dumbass!"

It was then, Levi's sanity was no longer of debate. The small injured man had just scolded a titan. Perhaps it slipped his mind who was at who’s mercy. He wasn’t talking to a person, but a monster, afterall. 

Everybody waited for the titan to lash out and tear Levi to pieces, their blood running cold at the thought. They hold their breaths as the titan lifts one hand, shifting Levi onto the other, and lowers it.

Would the titan crush him? 

Roll him up and mold him into a little ball?

Throw him?

Levi's eyes widened. Even he was intimidated until the titan's index finger tapped the crown of his head and sighed. "Levi's burdens," it frowned, voice still barely coherent. "So heavy."

Once again, Levi found himself getting noticeably lost in the titan's eyes, his body lightening at its empathy. Though he became surprisingly irritable when it was cut short -

"Captain Levi!" The voice called, though the person it belonged to decided against getting too close. "Your orders, sir! We don’t have much time!"

"What is it?" He sneered, lounging against the titan's thumb.

It's not a chair, be more cautious, The survey corps member thought.

"Er, th-the girl we retrieved from the titan's neck feigned unconsciousness and slipped away last-minute, sir. She’s gone again."

Levi groaned at the news. “Did you see her face?”

“No, sir. Her face was attached to the tendons and nerves when I last saw her. Next thing I knew, she was high-tailing.”

“Shit,” Levi pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Did you want . . . to see her face?” The titan asks, staring down at Levi who thoughtlessly responds in his frustration:

“At the very least, it would’ve been better than nothing.”

With that, the titan stands and places Levi in a nearby tree for the hundredth time. He couldn’t set him on the ground, afterall, with all the mindless titans raging about the woods.

Then it turned, scanned the trees, and ran. Only this time, hardly in a position to move, Levi wouldn't chase after it. Not that he had an option with Hange breathing down his neck. She urged him to rest, her incessant nagging finally paying off after pinning him to make a point. The way he was now, exhausted and aching all over, he couldn't go if he tried. He'd reached his limit.

He'd regret not pushing himself further when his team returned empty-handed with nothing to report other than the rotting body of the male titan. 

He denied it at first and insisted he had to see it for himself, but they argued there was nothing he could do. Levi struggled to get by, knocking a few of them off the branch in the process. Fortunately, their gear was functional and they were quick to react. Unfortunately, the only solution to their current dilemma was to render Levi Ackerman, Humanity's Strongest, unconscious. All his struggling would do nothing, if not worsen his current condition.

When Levi woke, he was lying flat on his back, dazed for a moment before jolting to sit up when the wagon hit a rock. Hange sat next to him, mourning the loss of her potential lab rats. She didn't look up to acknowledge that he'd come back to his senses. No one did. The atmosphere was heavier than it normally was when they returned from outings like this, and everybody knew the reason. The number of casualties doubled compared to previous amounts, the possibility of receiving support from titans - if only just one - was completely disqualified, and Levi himself was severely injured.

No one said anything, staring down at the feet or hiding their faces in their knees, scolding themselves internally. The disappointment fogged their minds and afterthoughts blurred with comparative unimportance.

It was a major loss on their part.

Levi grit his teeth and clenched his fists, feeling his muscles tense. He was so sore, it ached. But he was alive. He was alive because that titan decided his life was worth saving. 

He looked around. The sky was blue, the grass was green, and the forest had already disappeared into the distance. He'd been lying in a wagon beside the bodies they managed to find and recover before departing.

There wasn't anything left for him to do, it was already dead. That titan died without his permission and there isn't anything he can do but picture it in his mind. Their first and last moments of silent communication, the concern its eyes held only when looking at him, and the final glance it spared before vanishing into the trees. It was as if its eyes were speaking to him. "Be safe," they said. "Survive. I'll find you again."

Admittedly dejected, Levi lies back down and rests his arm over his eyes to shield them from the sun. But he can't rest easy. The horror he witnessed as well as the humanity of the titan who called his name wouldn't allow it. Not for many nights to come.


	4. Reunited

To be accurate and maintain some authenticity, I looked up the Attack titan’s abilities and found that Eren also inherited the Founding titan’s abilities after eating his father. He can turn to stone, creating the structure that sealed the second wall, and he can control titans. How he controls titans is not specified, google only referred to him punching the palm of the smiling titan and mentioned that Ymir controlled titans with her screams. So I’ll interpret that as verbal commands or physical contact.

[At wall Maria w/ Eren]

He waited just outside the gates for entry, though it would be more accurate to say he stood before a large gaping hole in the wall. It was almost as if an enormous bull forced its way through.

After several minutes passed by and no one came to greet him, he decided to show himself in. He walked down the street and went sight-seeing, though there wasn’t much to see. Blood-stained buildings were reduced to piles of brick, roads were blocked by rubble, and homes had been leveled to the ground. This wasn’t a place where people lived - not anymore. Now, at least, it was a ghost town abandoned even by the souls of those who once inhabited it. It was deserted.

It frustrated him to think how Levi must've suffered because of his negligence. What distracted him from his brooding thoughts wasn’t so much a ‘what’ as it was an ‘it’. It wasn’t in close enough proximity to see, but it was most definitely loud enough to feel in the ground beneath him as it shook.

Then, barreling toward him from two blocks down was a two-meter titan with a smile so eerily wide its head nearly fell from its shoulders. It was a wonder such a small body could support something so large. It collided with buildings as it ran, eyes fixed on the boy. 

“You,” he stared back, dead-eyeing the cannibal. “You dare challenge me?”

And as the titan grew nearer, Eren drew a breath and released an Earth-shattering shout. “Feast!” He cried.

The titan halted in front of the boy, smiling down at him. But it didn’t strike. Instead, it’s snatched up and torn limb from limb by its mindless kin. Titans that weren’t visible before emerged from their hiding places and pounced at one another. 

The boy casually continued down the street, dodging the occasional rolling eyeball or falling arm. As of now, it was raining blood and titan appendages.

He only stopped when something odd caught his eye; humans. A raven-haired girl and a small blond boy. They were dressed rather barbarically, holding the blades of fallen soldiers. 'They’re survivors', he thought. 'They’re like Levi'.

They watched him from where they hid in the ruins of a house, though it probably wasn't their own. 

"H-hey, look out!" The blond shouts, pointing up at something causing him alarm.

But the boy, unfazed, doesn't bother looking in the direction the blonde had gestured in. Instead, he approaches the two of them and an arm hits the ground behind him. But he doesn't so much as blink at the impact, keeping his eyes on the two teens.

Finally, he crouches down to get a better look at them. The girl was foreign, Asian, not a subject of Ymir. She was just like Levi. The boy was small and fragile-looking but also notably alert and observant. 

"What are you called?" The boy-titan asked. 

"Uh- Armin," the blond introduced himself in a meek tone of voice. "And this is Mikasa."

He smiled. "It's okay now," he cooed, patting Armin's hair. "You did well on your own."

Tears well up in Armin's eyes, trauma apparent in his pupils. The things he must've seen, the boy-titan thought it best not to dwell on it too much.

"Come, we're going," he beckoned, reaching for them.

"Where?" The girl inquired whilst Armin faithfully took his hand and crawled out from their hiding place.

"Somewhere else," he answered.

She glanced at his extended hand and then back into his eyes. "What's your name?"

"Eren Jeager, Protector."

"Eren," she repeated, considering him for a moment before placing her hand in his and crawling out from the rubble.

Her hesitation and suspicion of him were understandable, but her wariness of another person was worrisome. How long had it been since she'd seen another human's face? How long ago did she give up hope for a comfortable life and settle for scraps? How long has she been running?

"Oh God, . . ." Armin recoiled, lifting a hand to suppress his gag reflex.

"What is it, Armin?" Mikasa walked over to him and found his reply wasn't necessary.

The titans had turned on one another and flooded the streets with their insides. Their carcasses rotted abnormally quickly and were reduced to nothing by skeletons and bone marrow on the curb. 

"You folks alright down there!?" Someone called from the roof. There were soldiers, at least five of them. Eren recognized the uniform, but Levi wasn't among them. 

Concerned, Eren replied, "They need rest!"

"We'll get you somewhere safe, don't worry!" The first assured him, but a second soldier stepped up from behind him and spoke quietly.

The mood shifted after that and the soldiers looked around, shaken by the view.

"Um," one uttered. "Any clue what went down?"

"What do you mean?" Eren asks.

"They're all," the soldier pauses in disbelief. "Dead."

"Oh," Eren shrugs. "They killed each other."

The soldiers gawk at the boy's nonchalant attitude. "Wh-what are you saying? They did this?"

"They did as they were told," Eren confirms. 

Confused, the men furrow their brows at Eren and say nothing.

"Ah," Eren perks up. "Do you know Levi?"

They flinch. "Why?"

Armin peeks out from behind the boy-titan, "Eren, you know Levi?"

He smiles, "Yeah! Do you?"

"Don't lie!" Barked a soldier. "You're not even survey corps!"

"Yeah," another concluded. "I've never seen you together with Captain Levi, either!"

"How does a common kid like you get to know Captain Levi!?" They interrogated.

"We met outside," Eren explains casually. "Please don't raise your voices too much. You'll scare Armin."

The blond gawks at Eren, faltering in his step. Mikasa, on the other hand, falls to her knees. 

"Mikasa!?" Eren hurries to her side. "What's wrong? Are you hurt!?"

"E- . . . ren," she manages. "No way. . . . You're from outside?"

He nods, frantically inspecting her for fatal wounds.

Armin collapses beside them, tears trailing down his cheeks. "What's it like?"

"Hm?" Eren pauses for a minute. "Well, . . . big?"

"A-and the ocean!?" Armin leans in close. "Have you seen the ocean!?"

"Uh," the boy-titan falters, nodding. "Sure I have."

"Really!?" The corners of Armin's mouth were turned down, but there was a newfound spark in his eye. Hope. It was back.

"What was it like?" Mikasa chimed in, desperate to hear more.

"I said don't lie, damn it!" The soldier intercepted. "No one survives outside the walls!"

"Of course they do," Eren quirked a brow as if the soldier was the odd one. "Lots of people do."

"Now you're just talkin' nonsense!" 

"I'm not," Eren's tone turned curt. 

The soldier flinched. "Th-then why are you here if you're from out there?" He argued.

“I came looking for Levi,” Eren answered. "And I thought I’d offer my services."

“How do you intend to do that?” The soldier scoffed.

“That bolder,” Eren gestured to a sizable piece of ruble. “I’ll plug up the hole in your wall with that bolder.”

After a lengthy minute of silence, an eruption of laughter startles the young man.

“And what’re you gonna do?” The soldier laughed. “Carry it!?”

His companions howled and hollered their agreement.

“Yes,” the boy-titan replied nonchalantly. “In return, give me Levi.”

The soldiers were quiet once more, gawking at the sheer nerve of the boy standing before them.

"E-Eren, you can't be serious," Armin stuttered. "Moving a boulder is-" he was at a loss for words. "A-and to say something so audacious about Levi, . . . he might kill you."

"Why?" Clueless, Eren inquired about the situation.

Before Armin could Explain, the soldier laughed again. "Fine then. But if you can't plug up the hole, you'll leave!"

The soldier's audacity was clear in his statement. Of course he didn't believe Eren, a seemingly normal boy, could do something so outrageous. He only agreed to reveal the truth. After he failed, Eren would have to leave. He'd be forced to admit he wasn't from outside the walls.

The soldier's audacity was clear in his statement. Of course he didn't believe Eren, a seemingly normal boy, could do something so outrageous. He only agreed to reveal the truth. After he failed, Eren would have to leave. He'd be forced to admit he wasn't from outside the walls.

Eren smiled. "Then you'll really take me to him?"

"Yeah, yeah~" he assured. "Just get on with-"

Eren abruptly dashes in the opposite direction, bites down on his hand, and unknowingly shatters their perception of the world.

Part 2 coming soon!


	5. Reunited Part 2

[On horseback w/ Levi]

“What did the report say?” Levi indirectly addressed Hange, the woman riding on the horse beside him.

“There was an unusual disturbance, but it’s vague,” she informed. “Nearly twenty survey corps scouts went to check it out, but out of all of them, all they managed to report was that their lives were at risk. They didn't specify how or why, we can't be sure if they antagonized a titan or a superior. It's as if they can't grasp the situation themselves. They even said we'd have to see it ourselves to make sense of it. What do you think happened?"

“Unbelievable,” he breathed, still glaring ahead.

“What?” She inquired, leaning dangerously close to hear better.

“They don't know what they saw and likely need a second opinion. Whatever they saw was unbelievable. They couldn't explain the situation if they tried."

Levi turned to Hange and their eyes met. Then, without a word, Hange knew exactly what he meant. "You think he's alive?"

He looks ahead. "I didn't say that."

"But-"

"And I didn't not say it, either."

"So you're saying there's no proof?"

"Not yet."

"But the female titan was a vessel too! What if-"

"- . . . it?" He interrupted in a growl.

"What?"

"I said," he looks back to her. "Can you prove it?"

Neither of them said a word to the other for the remainder of the trip, though it was impossible not to get their hopes up. Especially when a red rod of lightning struck the Earth at random. Though it would be hours if not days before they reached the location the lightning hit the hardest; Shiganshina.

When they finally arrived a day later without rest, they strolled through the renowned ruins of Shiganshina. 

“Levi,” Hange whispered for his attention, gesturing to the fifth titan skeleton they’d seen thus far.

He nodded in turn before glancing around for any signs of movement. 

“Captain Levi!” Called a voice from above. “He’s here!”

Two scouts jumped from the rooftops to greet their delayed reinforcements. 

“Captain Levi, you have to leave!”

“What?” He scowled.

“It’s not safe! Please, Captain Levi, you have to go!”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” He growled, unsheathing his blade.

The scout gulped.

“What do you mean, ‘it’s not safe’? We haven’t seen a single titan yet, what happened here? And why is Levi’s life the only one at risk?”

“Uh, . . .” they averted their eyes and twiddled their thumbs, but there wasn’t any need to speak with them any further. 

After the mutual exchange of a nod of their head, both Levi and Hange speed ahead. Soon, they heard voices in the distance -

“You can’t! We won’t let you!” A voice protested. “He promised to take us with him!”

“You’re talking crazy! Step aside!”

“No!” They cried. “I want to see it! I want to see the ocean! Together with him and Mikasa, I want to be free from life within the walls!”

Levi immediately abandoned his horse and took to the skies, using his gear to keep himself suspended and zip through the streets until he reached the source of the commotion.

The survey corps troops stationed in Shiganshina were in a frenzy and currently surrounded three individuals, two boys and a girl. All three looked to be around twenty years of age. Two of the individuals seemed to be acting as a shield between the troops and the third boy.

“Armin, Mikasa,” the boy tried. “Settle down. We won’t get anywhere like this.”

“But Eren-” the girl sobbed.

“I know, don’t worry, I’ll keep my promise to both of you.”

“No!” She screamed. “I’m not leaving you!”

“Me either! We’ll go see the ocean together! Until then, we won’t leave your side!”

The boy laughed, “Do you not trust me?”

They flinched.

“I’m not going anywhere, I assure you. Besides, I still haven’t seen the person I came here to see.”

“Enough!” A troop soldier shouts. “You may be from the outside, but you’re a goddamn titan! There’s no way you know Captain Levi!”

With that, Levi descends from the rooftop. He had what he needed. Proof. Confirmation. A fucking miracle.

“Captain Levi!? Wh-what’re you doing here!? They were supposed to have you turn back-”

“And I was supposed to listen?” He growled, not sparing the man a glance as he strides over to the young adults and stares down at Eren whose eyes light up at the sight of him.

“Lev-!” Eren had moved to embrace Levi, but his warm greeting was met with a knee to the gut and a kick to the groin.

Eren groaned at the pain and doubled over onto his knees, his new friends ready to defend him from the renowned killer. They stopped to watch, however, as Levi kneeled and quite literally fell into the arms of the boy-titan.

Eren barely managed to remain upright despite falling flat onto his butt. “That hurt, . . .” Eren whined but received no response. Levi had already nestled himself in Eren’s shoulder and fallen fast asleep.

He'd been restless for a month and barely attained twelve hours of sleep in that time. Only now did it occur to him why he wished so desperately to see the titan again; not to kill him, but to feel him. Looking into the eyes of the titan in the forest was unreal. It silenced his demons and cleaned his slate. It offered the peace of mind he never knew.

Merely sharing eye contact with the boy he just met had the same effect. He was at peace. 

Hange arrived at the scene moments later and nearly lost it. “Levi, are you, . . .” she snorted, “cuddling him?”

He didn't bother responding, though he did stir in his sleep. It was a never-before-seen situation: Levi was sleeping. In front of other people. And using a stranger as his pillow.

"You're the woman who looked after Levi that day, aren't you?" The boy addressed Hange. "Thank you for taking care of him."

Her eyes went wide with the realization and she shrieked, "You! It's you! You're him! He's you!"

Eren, startled, reflexively wrapped his arms around Levi as if to protect him. 

"Eren!" Armin called from behind him, kneeling beside him. "How do you know these people?" He whispered.

Mikasa also seated herself beside Eren, possessively clutching his arm and looking upon their audience.

"Oh," Eren looked down at Levi's tired face and smiled. "I caught him."

Hange snorted at his phrasing and burst out laughing, clutching her sides. 

"Are you okay?" Eren asks, genuinely concerned for the maniacal woman. 

Levi frowns at the commotion and elbows Eren in his ribs, mumbling, "Quiet."

"Ah, sorry," he apologized and lowered his voice, whispering to Hange, "Is there somewhere quiet I could take him?"

"Unfortunately, there are more pressing matters to attend to," Hange replies, still unable to stop smiling. "You'll have to come with us."

"Can Armin and Mikasa come with?"

Hange looks to the two poorly-dressed, filthy residents behind him and without hesitation, she says, "Of course! The more the merrier!"

The three of them smile at one another, however, Eren frowns again when a man approaches him and reaches for Levi. Eren then pulls the small man closer to his chest and practically growls. Was he a titan or just feral?

The man flinches and jumps back, clutching his hand to his chest protectively.

"You never said I couldn't keep him."

Really, what was his goal? To kill Hange? Death by cackling?

Clutching her side and covering her mouth to hide her grin, she agrees. "No, I didn't. You can keep him with you until he wakes up, but I'll need to talk with him when that time comes, is that okay? I'm a good friend of his, y'know?" 

Skeptical, Eren considers the woman standing in front of him, but complies when she mentions carrying Levi back on his own.

"We didn't stop on the way here, but there are a few resting points we've marked on the map. We'll stop at one for the night, but you can't force a sleeping man to sit still on a horse, can you? It would be better to carry him as a titan, don't you think?"

The rest of the survey corps expressed their concern while internally questioning the squad leader's sanity. Her plot was obvious to everyone but Eren, who happily agreed.

"Then," her glasses fog up, excited beyond belief. "Would you mind if I tagged along? I'll just sit on your shoulder."

"Us too, Eren. Take us, too," Mikasa and Armin pleaded with their eyes.

"You don't want to ride the-?"

"Nope!" In unison, the three of them answered with exhilaration. 

Eren knew better than to argue and instead asked how soon they'd be departing.

Hange smiled. "Right now."

I can't tell you how much I laughed while writing this chapter, XD. Feel free to comment and tell me what you thought!


	6. Thicker than Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I failed to mention Eren wears a loincloth and literally nothing else, as expected of someone who’s lived most of his recent immortal life in solitude.

After tearing through the flesh of his palm, Eren once again takes on his other form and kneels so that his passengers may climb aboard.

He had temporarily laid Levi down on the grass until he could properly pick him back up and cradle him in his cupped hands, but he woke up when Eren transformed. Honestly, it would’ve been more surprising if he hadn’t.

But he didn’t question the situation; on the contrary, he didn’t seem to care enough in his half-asleep state, stepping onto the titan’s hand and sitting comfortably against his fingers. 'This is dangerous', he thought. 'For Humanity’s Strongest to feel like this around a titan. . . .'

Still, he didn’t stop himself. If he didn’t get some decent sleep soon, he’d go mad.

“Comfortable?” Hange mocked, situating herself on the titan’s wrist.

Levi glared, “What’s your angle?”

“Hm? Well, judging by the sun, this is North, North-East-”

“Not that, why’s he like this all of a sudden?”

They locked eyes, staring intensely at one another until Levi decided he was too tired to deal with her bullshit and turned over.

Hange smiled. “It’s good to see you relax like this.”

Levi groans, “Quit rambling.”

“Hey, hey,” Hange chants, excited. “Get him to talk.”

“Hah?” He growls.

“If everyone back home is going to be expected to trust him like we do, we should start with these troops, and the best way to do that is for them to see what we’ve seen.”

“Who said I trusted him?”

Hange cackles happily at his denial. “Are you not sitting in the palm of his hand?”

Levi glared but said nothing.

“. . . Cutting through the tendons in his arms could also stand for a decent experiment," her voice trails off. "I wonder how long he’d last before he dropped you?"

Levi scowls at her from over his shoulder, mumbling something like "Fuckass shitty-four-eyed jackhole," before asking what to say.

"Ask him his name," she suggests.

"He talks and you shut your fucking trap," Levi demands more than negotiates.

She nods enthusiastically. "Deal."

So, Levi looks up at the titan and yells for its attention. When their eyes meet, he sluggishly orders: "Your name. Say it."

"Ah," Hange whines. "So lame. . . ."

Eren stops in his tracks, staring down at Levi with genuine shock. ". . . Eren, . . ." he finally answers, voice completely different from a minute ago. 

"Tsk," Levi clicks his tongue. "You don't sound anything like the human version of you. It's inconvenient if I can't hear you."

The titan, like a sad dog, averts its eyes and droops its long ears, saddened by Levi's disapproval.

"Speak clearly this time."

Eren cocks his head to the side, confused.

Levi groans, "Do I have to spell it out for you?" He sits up only to adjust his position, lying perpendicular to the titan and staring right into the eyes of his potential predator. "Say it again."

The titan perks up, elated at his chance for redemption.

"Oi, why'd you stop!?" A troop member shouts from ground-level.

"Eren," the titan's voice answers. "I'm Eren."

Levi smiles approvingly, "Good. Now get going."

Eren nods and follows the horses.

They reach a run-down tower by nightfall and the troops, convinced Eren won't attack them for now, obediently go inside when Hange orders them to.

"Alright, Eren! You can come out now!" She calls, waiting eagerly for him to exit his massive vessel.

Eren kneels and rests his hands in his lap, emerging from the titan's nape moments later and speeding down its right arm to fetch Levi, who had already woken from his nap.

Now standing beside him, Eren offers Levi a hand, perhaps worried he may still be injured from the incident a month ago.

Levi considers him, feeling noticeably drowsy after having just woken up, but eventually stands on his own and hops down from the quickly decomposing titan's corpse to demonstrate how perfectly fine he was. And though he was concerned at first, Eren smiled and happily followed his lead. 

But it troubled him when Levi abruptly stopped to stare at him for two minutes straight only to lock eyes with Hange.

"Clothes. The first order of business is clothes." They agreed.

Eren didn't quite understand, but he knew he wouldn't like it.

Mikasa and Armin struggle to climb down, but manage on their own and hurry to join up with Eren.

"Is that everyone?" One of their subordinates asks, approaching with caution. 

"Should be." Hange answers. "Get everyone inside and get these two situated. We don't have the time to bathe them, now, so it'll have to wait until we're back in wall Rose." 

He nods, glancing skeptically at Eren one final time before rounding everyone up.

Eren looks over his shoulder at the two teens standing behind him and greets them with a smile. "Did you enjoy yourselves?"

"Yes!" They respond in unison, stars in their eyes. 

"The view was amazing from so high up! The whole sky was purple and you could see the sunset clearly, too!" In awe, Armin described his experience with enthusiasm.

Eren chuckled breathily, said "I'm glad you enjoyed it," and looked to Mikasa. "And you?"

With a slight tint to her cheeks, she shuffled her feet and nodded. "Thank you."

Not another word was exchanged between the four of them until they entered the castle ruins, following closely behind the troops.

"Now," Levi addresses the troops who had all been gathered in the common area, looking serious. 

The intensity of his gaze leaves his on-lookers in suspense, awaiting their orders. Seeing as they brought back a boy who was really a titan, perhaps the plan was to lure him inside, catch him off guard, and conduct experiments on him immediately afterward?

Or perhaps Levi would have an important assignment for them.

But, as predicted, Levi produces a bucket and a mop. "Clean."

Audible groans erupt throughout the room but are silenced by the "Yes, sir!" of the boy-titan, saluting Levi with his left hand over his heart.

After a long silence accompanied by baffled stares, he lowers his hands and rubs the back of his neck with a nervous laugh. "Did I do it wrong? Sorry, haha. . . ."

Levi, who stood on the staircase at the other end of the room to give his little announcement, steps down from it and approaches Eren, who refused to be farther than two meters from him. He then grabs Eren by his right wrist and proceeds to correct his salute.

And though he doesn't salute back, his nod of approval is enough to brighten Eren's mood.

Levi then steps back and looks to the gawking faces of his subordinates. "The rest of you," he says. "Get to work."

"Hm?" Eren looks around, unsure what to do now that Levi's focus was no longer on him, and slowly lowers his hands. "Not me?"

"No," Levi concurs as the room clears, looking him up and down in distaste. "Not you."

Hange clears her throat. "Levi, we don't have time for an extreme makeover, let's just get him some decent clothes - or a sheet - to wear and leave it for when we're back in Wall Rose. For now, what's important is that we understand him and are prepared to answer any questions the public may have."

Levi narrows his eyes at her priorities and how reasonable they are when compared to his needs and OCD. Still, he can't help cringing at the sight of the boy, now that he was really looking. He couldn't fathom how any one person could be so dirty; he couldn't tell if Eren was naturally brown or if his skin fused with the dirt. 

Eren, worried he'd done something to offend his newfound fixation, is quick to apologize for nothing. "Levi? Are you upset with me? Did I do something? C-can I make it up to you somehow?"

Levi's immediate reply is: "Bathe."

Eren blinks at him. "Is bathing important to you?"

"It's important to everyone but you," Levi argues.

"Ah, then is it wrong to go without bathing for a certain period of time? Is it your culture?"

"It's common sense, you meathead."

Utterly confused and overall clueless, Eren shrinks under Levi's judgemental glare. 

"Calm down, you're scaring him," Hange steps in and turns to Eren, "How 'bout we move this conversation to another room for now? I've been waiting all day, I have so many questions for you!" And all of a sudden, she's practically drooling. 

And without a chance to protest, Eren is dragged off to another room and made to answer several seemingly harmless questions that began with his place of birth.

Eren answered casually and kept his replies brief, explaining how he was born on the road and that his father was a doctor. The three of them, along with his mother, traveled frequently for his research. 

"So then you're not a child of Ymir?" Levi cut in.

"We're all children of Ymir. It's more accurate to say that I'm . . . a family friend? A distant relative, maybe?"

"What do you mean?" Hange asks that he elaborate.

"I don't understand it myself," Eren smiles awkwardly and looks to his hands in his lap nostalgically. "But I know I was given my name and the title of 'Honored Protector' to assist the people of Ymir when needed."

"Honored Protector? Who gave it to you? I've never heard it."

"I earned it after slaying my first titan. While Eren Jaeger is my given name, I only hoped to live up to it what it meant." Eren explained. "It's understandable that you don't know of me, I've been absent for hundreds of years." 

Hange blinks. "What?"

"What? Is something wrong?" Eren looked around at their expressions, trying to read them and finding it exceedingly difficult.

"Eren," Hange finally swallowed, pausing for a moment to wet her otherwise dried lips. "How old are you?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm not sure. What year is it?" He answered casually despite knowing how easily humans expired.

Hange hesitates to answer, ". . . 845."

Eren pinches his chin in thought, pondering the time difference. "Then I'm around 2,875, . . . I think?" (See notes at bottom of page for elaboration.)

The two gawk at him, baffled by his unbothered demeanor.

"But, assuming her birthdate is accurate, that would make you . . . older than Ymir herself. . . ."

"I am," Eren concluded, though his eyes softened with a sudden sorrow Levi recognized. He continued, "She was always so small, the body of a titan never suited her very well. Admittedly, I teased her at times, but I respected her a great deal. Everyone did."

In shock, Hange and Levi struggle to process what was being said.

"Wait," Hange interrupts, standing from her seat and slamming her hands on the table. "You knew her!?"

Eren shrinks into his chair, intimidated by the climactic woman. "Yes?"

"How!?"

"Er, um, . . ." Eren glanced at Levi for help but found the stoic man earnestly hanging on his every word and staring intently at him. It only made him more fidgety. "I-if memory serves, I was still three when she was conceived, but by the time she was born, I had already turned four and my mother had passed. Days prior, my father left with the promise to return but never did and left me an orphan. But the village people never regarded me that way. Instead, they raised me alongside their own. I no longer had a family of my own, but I was glad to be family to them," he smiled fondly at the memory. "They were kind."

A solemn silence thickened the atmosphere. A step would echo in the quiet, their breathing slowed with the tension.

Finally, Levi decided it had gone on long enough. "How did you know her?" He queried.

Eren sighed. "I first laid eyes on her at the same time everyone else did," he paused. "At her christening."

"When her parents introduced her to the people?" Hange urged.

Eren nodded. "She was of royal descent and presented to the people all at once a few weeks after she was born. She was raised with strict beliefs and studied most afternoons. She was smart, but she'd be known for more than her wits after her dormant abilities awakened," he chuckled. "The first time she changed, it was like the sky screamed. It was loud and sudden and it shook the ground, but I wasn't scared. I was moved. She displayed such power, we were awestruck and bowed before her. After that, the castle walls couldn't hold her any longer; they were much too constrictive. We spoke weekly, if not daily. She was wise for her age as if the wisdom of the world stored itself within her tiny body. She knew things - realized things no girl her age should've been concerned with."

"Things? What things?" Hange pressed on.

"Impending death. It was as if she knew her time would be short."

The next part is coming soon, I promise. It'll be shorter, yes, but I live for cute content and I'll be sure to include some to make up for the cliffhanger! <3 <3

Re-posted to correct an error. I know I promised I would have the next chapter out soon, but things have been hectic. It is in progress, however, and should be out sometime this week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The current year is 845, but Eren himself is thousands of years old. Ymir lived two thousand years ago, but mysteriously died after thirteen years. Assuming Eren is 2,875 years old - four years older than Ymir and 19 years of age at the time of her death, - that puts his birth at approximately 4BY(before Ymir). With this logic, it makes sense to say Eren has met her and inherited her power on her deathbed.


	7. Look the Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short introduction to their plans for Eren and their mindset.

After discussing less pressing matters, like their plans for Eren and the current state of humanity, they dressed him in a makeshift toga.

“Is this necessary?”

“If we’re going to pass you off as a God - or, at least the descendant of one - you should look the part,” Hange reasoned, smirking as her glasses glossed over. “Besides, it suits you. Right, Levi?” She grinned, elbowing Levi suggestively.

He glared and brushed her off. “This isn’t a game. If anyone’s going to believe he’s the genuine article, you’re going to have to take this seriously,” he scolded. Eren was happy he didn’t disagree, at least.

"If that's all, we should meet up with the others and assign lookouts."

"Lookouts? But titans don't move at night," Eren inferred.

"No, but it's not just titans we're looking out for," Hange answered. 

"Eren," Levi addressed. "Not everyone is going to accept you. Don't let your guard down."

Eren blinked at how blunt Levi could be but nodded to the truth he spoke. "I won't."

Levi stared up into Eren's eyes, both indecipherable to the other; impossible to read. Finally, Levi looks him up and down and says, "How the hell are you two thousand years old? You're just a brat," and kicks him in his shin before walking past him and out the door.

Hange groans at Levi's unparalleled people skills and places a hand on Eren's shoulder, who'd been confused about whether he'd just been told he was too old or too young.

"He's the loneliest man I've ever met," she said, almost jokingly, but Eren couldn't help wondering what she meant by it. He gave her a strange look and asked her to elaborate, but she smiled and looked pitifully at the door Levi left through. 

Then, in the blink of an eye, she became boisterous and wrapped an arm around Eren's shoulders, pulling him along with her through the doors. "Woohoo! What a day! I’m glad you’re not dead, I would've killed you if you were!" She laughed.

Later, Eren reunited with Armin and Mikasa. They complained about the work, but Eren couldn't bring himself to argue with direct orders from Levi and said nothing. Afterward, they all hunkered down in the basement. Neither Armin nor Mikasa could bear being separated from Eren for very long.

And though they slept peacefully beside Eren, Eren didn't get a wink. He couldn't stop thinking about Levi's warning and how he hadn't seen him since.


	8. Wall Rose

They left first thing the next morning, but Levi seemed especially irate for some reason. It only worsened when Eren approached to ask what he was so upset about. He grumbled something under his breath and sped up on his horse.

Eren was especially disappointed Levi didn't want to ride him. 

On horseback, they made their way to the second wall; Wall Rose. Amazed by the sheer height of it, Eren stared in awe. Still, it appeared to be thinner than the wall from before and was also run through.

“I passed the ruins of the first town, but I can only imagine what caused it. If I was there, I could’ve prevented it.” Eren grieved.

"You did," Mikasa, who had been seated in front of Eren on horseback, comforted. "How did you manage it? How did you get the titans to slaughter each other?"

Eren paused, sensing multiple gazes focused in his direction. He looked around and, sure enough, anyone close enough to hear was listening in. Including Levi, who glanced back at him from ahead.

"It's nothing special," he shrugged. "I told them to eat so they ate."

His reply wasn't satisfying in the least, but no arguments were made as they entered through the second wall and made their way back to town. The people were dumb-struck.

No one appeared to be injured and they'd even returned with more bodies than they left with. The adult's surprise wasn't all good, though, as they looked visibly upset. "More mouths to feed," someone spat. On the other hand, the children looked on with stars in their eyes, amazed at what the survey corps had accomplished.

"Was it a rescue?" One admired.

"They look hungry, think they want some bread?" Another commented.

Eren smiled at their innocence and readiness to help those in need. As a result, the children found themselves overwhelmed by him and his somewhat dignified appearance, unable to look away. "A God, . . ." they murmured.

Eren was reminded then of how he was currently dressed and felt the sudden need to straighten his back and correct his posture. He wanted to live up to their expectations and their perception of him.

They later arrived at a large building. Eren assumed it was commonly used for political and military gatherings, though it resembled a church. One thing was for certain, though; in that moment, he existed only to be judged by the unfamiliar faces before him on their pedestals. 

Eren stood before them in all his sheet-toga glory and was introduced as ‘The God Eren Jeager, Protector of Ymir’s Children and Guardian of the Just’. An audible cackle was heard and soon, they were surrounded by guffawing laughter. It wasn’t until a scout stood from his seat and begged to be heard did the room go silent. “It’s hard to believe, sir, but my troops saw it! He grew nine meters and carried a boulder on his back! It’s true!”

A few more scoffed, but at the terror in the man’s eyes, they found themselves growing tense. 

“. . . Listen here,” an elder man of the court said. “You shouldn’t lie-”

“I’m not!” Desperately, the troop leader cried. “I’m sure you heard someone sealed the hole, didn’t you!? We sent the update! I’m not dreaming, sir, it really happened! I-” his voice faltered and he glanced at Eren, who stood before the court. He grit his teeth. “I saw a monster.”

In an act of horror, Eren was tackled to the ground and was eventually made to kneel in shackles and bound to a post. Eren could barely follow their conversation but understood their suspicion of him and where his loyalties lie.

That's when Levi approached Eren, non-verbally demanding the attention of everyone in the room. Eren was curious to see what Levi would do and was met with a foot to his face. He was used to it by now, though. 'He's asserting dominance in front of them', he reasoned.

But he kept kicking and Eren was beginning to feel especially uncomfortable. He was sure he'd lost a tooth at some point. 

He pondered what people might think of Levi beating a 'God', until he said - 

"If Humanity's Strongest couldn't take on a God, we'd have died by now."

And with that, Levi successfully managed to convince his audience that Eren was of no threat to them, though they would need proof of his power and lineage.

Afterward, Eren was shown to a small waiting room. Levi plopped down on a couch beside him. "Oi, Eren," Levi spoke.

Eren's heart skipped at the sound of his name on Levi's tongue. They'd hardly spoken all day.

"Do you hate me?"

"No," Eren replied quickly, forgetting momentarily about his bloody nose. He went on, "This much doesn't bother me at all. I'll be fine by nightfall, I think."

That statement would prove true when Levi visited Eren's residence, a decent-sized cell in the basement. Though he was introduced as a God, he'd yet to prove himself.

Levi requested that Eren open his mouth and Hange, who accompanied him on his visit, was thrilled to find his tooth had grown back. Another man, - Eren remembered his name sounded something like "Her Twin" or "Our Win", - blonde and broad-shouldered with thick brows, was also shocked. 

He was quite the contrast to Levi, who was short and cute in an I'll-sharpen-my-blade-on-your-throat kind of way. This man was tall and looked disciplined as well and refined. He radiated authority. The kind people respected.

Mikasa and Armin argued that it wasn't right for their savior to sleep in a cell. The taller man argued it was better than killing him off. On the surface, it was to make everyone else feel at ease. But in reality, it was to protect Eren. 

Armin and Mikasa rambled with Eren, desperate to feed their fantasies of the outside. They bombarded him with question after question, like what kinds of fish lived in the ocean or if it really tasted as salty as the books described. 

Finally, Levi stepped in. “If you’re so dead-set on seeing it someday," he said. "Join the scouts.”


End file.
